40 episodes

Shandee Blackburn was brutally murdered as she walked home from work - but this cold-case can still be solved. Gold Walkley-winning journalist Hedley Thomas - who created The Teacher’s Pet and The Night Driver - goes deep to find out who killed Shandee, and why. 

Episodes of the podcast first, plus exclusive stories, videos, pictures and extraordinary evidence are available with a subscription through The Australian's app, or at shandee.com.au

To contact Hedley Thomas anonymously with any information on Shandee's Story email here - Shandee@theaustralian.com.au

 

Shandee's Story Crime X

    • True Crime
    • 4.6 • 193 Ratings

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

Shandee Blackburn was brutally murdered as she walked home from work - but this cold-case can still be solved. Gold Walkley-winning journalist Hedley Thomas - who created The Teacher’s Pet and The Night Driver - goes deep to find out who killed Shandee, and why. 

Episodes of the podcast first, plus exclusive stories, videos, pictures and extraordinary evidence are available with a subscription through The Australian's app, or at shandee.com.au

To contact Hedley Thomas anonymously with any information on Shandee's Story email here - Shandee@theaustralian.com.au

 

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    Hear Live Lehrmann trial updates

    Hear Live Lehrmann trial updates

    We're covering another huge trial every day on The Australian's daily news podcast The Front.

    Find out more about The Front podcast here. You can read about this story and more on The Australian's website or on The Australian’s app.

    This episode of The Front is presented by Claire Harvey, produced by Kristen Amiet, and edited by Lia Tsamoglou. Original music is composed by Jasper Leak.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 24 min
    Shandee’s Legacy Episode 14: Closing Ranks

    Shandee’s Legacy Episode 14: Closing Ranks

    There was no fanfare when Commissioner Annabelle Bennett SC handed down her findings from the Project 13 inquiry.

    Only disappointment that the inquiry failed to hold anyone responsible for the biggest disaster in the lab’s history. 

    In this episode of Shandee’s Legacy, Dr Kirsty Wright joins Hedley Thomas, Claire Harvey, and David Murray to dissect and comment on the findings from this rare second inquiry, the future of a lab at the heart of the criminal justice system, and the case which started all of this: the slaying of Shandee Blackburn in 2013.

    To read The Australian's reporting and analysis of the inquiry, search Shandee's Story or visit shandee.com.au.

    For daily updates, subscribe to The Front in your podcast app.

    If you need support, Lifeline can be reached on 13 11 14.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 1 hr 17 min
    Shandee’s Legacy Episode 13: Science Speak

    Shandee’s Legacy Episode 13: Science Speak

    Public hearings in a second inquiry into the lab and the disastrous Project 13 have concluded. Closing submissions have been delivered. And still questions are left unanswered.

    Why was the automated process unleashed on precious crime-scene samples? Who wrote the mysterious and damning Project 13 report? And why didn’t the lab’s new boss flag it in the first inquiry?

    In this episode, Hedley Thomas, David Murray, and Matthew Condon dissect a baffling week in Brisbane’s Magistrates Court – and what it all means for the investigation into the murder of Shandee Blackburn.

    To read The Australian's reporting and analysis of the inquiry, search Shandee's Story or visit shandee.com.au.

    For daily updates, subscribe to The Front in your podcast app.If you need support, Lifeline can be reached on 13 11 14.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 1 hr 20 min
    Shandee’s Legacy Episode 12: History Repeating

    Shandee’s Legacy Episode 12: History Repeating

    Public hearings for a rare second inquiry into catastrophic failings at Queensland’s besieged forensics lab are about to get underway in Brisbane. 

    In this episode of Shandee’s Legacy, Hedley Thomas, David Murray, Claire Harvey, and Matthew Condon drill down into the questions yet to be answered about Project 13: who knew what and when, and why didn’t the lab’s new boss raise it at the first inquiry? 

    We also get to know the new legal team brought in to lead the new inquiry.

    To read The Australian's reporting and analysis of the inquiry, search Shandee's Story or visit shandee.com.au.

    For daily updates, subscribe to The Front in your podcast app.

    If you need support, Lifeline can be reached on 13 11 14.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 1 hr 14 min
    From The Front: Queensland's DNA lab is back under the microscope

    From The Front: Queensland's DNA lab is back under the microscope

    The Queensland government will reopen an inquiry into its troubled DNA lab after new evidence of flawed automated testing processes emerged.

    Find out more about The Front podcast here and subscribe in your podcast app. You can read about this story and more on The Australian's website or on The Australian’s app.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 13 min
    Shandee’s Legacy Episode 11: What Linzi Left Out

    Shandee’s Legacy Episode 11: What Linzi Left Out

    A cloud has been cast over the new chief of the lab following revelations that a DNA extraction method may have failed across thousands of samples in criminal cases for nine years.

    Professor Linzi Wilson-Wilde reviewed the automated method for retired judge Walter Sofronoff’s inquiry into the lab in 2022, but in her subsequent report did not mention information that she came across showing it was having serious problems recovering DNA.

    In this episode, Professor Wilson-Wilde launches a staunch defence of her report for the inquiry, saying she was engaged to examine a separate issue of the method contaminating crime scene samples soon after its introduction in 2007.

    To read The Australian's reporting and analysis of the inquiry, search Shandee's Story or visit shandee.com.au.

    If you need support, Lifeline can be reached on 13 11 14.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 1 hr 26 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
193 Ratings

193 Ratings

Btp113 ,

An injustice so enormous it exposed the entire system…

On the content: Worst f#ing judge ever. Hope this case haunts him to the grave. The one comfort of this shameful miscarriage of justice is that it shed a light on a horrifying issue that has likely robbed the people of Queensland any reliable form of justice for years, if not over a decade. “Shandee’s Legacy” seems an apt name for the follow ups. It’s almost like she’s a guardian angel for justice itself.

Very well told, but INCREASINGLY repetitive (though I do like a long binge, I find myself zoning out for large chunks of time…) Please learn to edit yourself. The repetition is not only between episodes, but within them. For some reason, questions get asked and answered 3-5 times in a single interview, often one right after the other… and we have to sit through the ENTIRE question and the ENTIRE response every. Single. Time. For example (the questions and answers are way more rambling in reality…) A: “with this sort of test you should have a 100% success rate, but they had 52% failure” Q: “so you’re saying they had a 52% fail rate… but it SHOULD be 100%?” A: “Yes. 100% bc (reasons)” Q: “so in 1000 cases of these, how many should be successful?” A: “1000 of them.” Q: “so in other words… 100% success is expected.” A: “yes. Q:” but in this case, they only had 48% success! And you’re saying it SHOULD be 100%. Wow.” And on and on and on………….

Alternatively, we’ll be told what was asked and what the answer was, and then we’ll hear the question get asked, and the answer. Or something we’ve just heard someone say will be explained to us in almost the exact same way. We get it. We heard it the first time. It gets really, really exhausting after a while. I have no idea what’s going on here, why no one is editing any of this down. It makes an otherwise interesting story feel like an absolute slog for hours at a time sometimes.

MaverickAbundance ,

I cant read other reviews.

I’m scared to read as I’m only on episode 4 and I believe the killer is obvious.

Listener-unbiased ,

Judges in Australia

Wow! I can not believe judges in Australia can have so much opinion or can infuse their own Defense of a defendant?! I thought the judge did a better job of getting John perros off then his defence lawyer! Isn’t that a biased trial?! This guy should get another trial on the basis that the judge himself biased against the victim! Unbelievable! Shameful!

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